Automatic fire escape



April 1911927 (3. NYKOLYSHAK AUTQMATIC FIRE ESCAPE a Sheets-Shed 1 FiledMay 22, 3.925 i 1927. ca. mmowswm AUTOMATIC FIRE ESCAPE Filed m y 22.,1925 Shgets- -Sheet s INVEN R Patented l8,

Mirna n i w r s! than c GEORGE NYKOLYSHAK, F 3' CITY, NIE'W JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC ESCAPE.

Application filed. May 22,

This invention relates to ii'nprovements in automatic fire escapes foremergency use in effecting the escape of a person or persons trapped ina building by lire.

The principal object of the invention resides in a device adapted to beinstalled in the interior of a building adjacent the top of a window forinstant use and which includes a harness adapted to be applied to thebody of the user and which is secured to the free end of a cablenormally wound about a spring actuated reel, whereby the cable willautomatically rewind after a person is lowered to the ground in order topermit other persons to likewise escape. 1

A further object resides in an automatic fire escape which includes acable, a brake means for controlling the paying out of the cable as theuser is lowered to the ground, spring mechanism for rewinding the cable,and a secondary or emergency spring means adapted to be brought intooperation in the event of the breaking of the iirst spring mechanism.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certainnovel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, theessential features of which are hereinafter fully described, areparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which i Figure 1 is a view of my inventioninstalled in the interior of a room.

Figure 2 is a view of the outside of building showing my invention inuse.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the working mechanism with the casingremoved.

Figure 4: is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line ll ofFigure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the brakemechanism.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of an emcrgency device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 10designates my improved apparatus in its entirety which is adapted to. bemounted on the inside of a building adjacent the top of a window asclcz'n'ly shown in Figure 'l. of the drawings,

for ready access in an emergency for facilitating t] a escape of personstrapped in burning building.

My device 10 includes a casing ll having a 'move about their pivotsthereby 1925. Serial No. 32,156.

hingedly mounted door 12 in the front wall thereof whereby access may behad to the harness 13 attached to the free end ot a cable l l. lhe cableis normally wound about a reel 15 keyed to a shaft 16 havin its bearingsin a frame 17. Mounted on the shaft 16 for rotation therewith anddisposed on opposite sides of the reel are bralte drums 18 which co-actwith the respective brake bands 19. Secured to one end ofeach of thebrake bands is an arm 20 pivotally mounted as at 21 and which arms areconnected by across rod 22. A thumb screw 23 is ad justably mounted in alug which depends from each of the arms and has a swivel connection withthe other end of the respective brake band. The said screw is adapted tocontrol the action of the brake band which depends upon the amount ofbraking action desired. The cable 14-. passes from the reel under thecross rod 22 and over a roller 24, stationarily mounted above the rod22. It will be seen that a pull exerted on the free end of the cablewill cause the arms 20 to contracting the band about the drums forsetting up a. braking action whereby a person is permitted to lowerhimself from the window to the ground at a predetermined rate of speed.The said screw 28 isadapted to control the speed by limiting thecontraction of the brake band whereby to accommodate the I lowering ofpersons of different weights. Springs 25 are connected with the rod 22and with the frame for normally holding the brake hands out ofengagement with the brake drums, but the action of the springs isovercome by the weight on. the end of the cable. One end of the shaft 16extends be yond the side 01": the frame and has keyed thereto areliitireh small gear 26 which meshes with a larger gear 27 keyed to theend of a. shaft 28 for transmitting motion from one shaft to the other.A flat coilspring 29 has one end secured to the shaft 28 and its otherend secured to a portion of the frame 1'5. The spring 29 is normallyunwound when the cable is entirely wound about the reel, but it will beseen that as the cable unwinds, the mot on ofthe shaft l6 istransn'iittcd to the shaft 28 through the gears 26 and 2'? therebywinding the coil spring and placing the same under tension. By the timea person has been lowered to the ground the spring will be sufficien tlywound to cause the reel to automatically rewind the cable to permitother persons to be lowered. The device is quick in its action to permitnumerous persons to escape in a miniimun period of time.

In order to eliminate any possibility of the device from being renderedinoperative by reason of the spring 29 breaking,.1 have provided asecondary or emergency spring 30 which is similar in construction to thespring 29, but instead of beingsecuredlo the shaft 28, the end of thesamefis attached to a sleeve 31 loosely mounted on: the shaft 28. Theother end of the spring isattached' to a portion of the frame 17 in asimilar: man.- ner as the spring 29; The inner faceoftlie sleeveprovided witha clutchor. surface teeth 32 for co-action with similarteeth formed ona sliding clutch collar 33 mounted forrotation with theshaft 28.. Anexpanr sion spring 34 surrounds the shaft andds interposedbetween a collar 35 fixed to. the shaft and theclutch collar an dtendstonormally force the clutch collar into. co-action with the teethThe clutch collaris'pror vided with a reduced portion which receives theyoke end of apivoted lever: 36. The lever is normally held inaaposition. against the action of the spring 34 but may be readilyactuatedor releasedto permit the clutch parts to engage thus bringingthe spring 30 into use. The spring 30.will have the same effect uponthe. reel as the spring 29 and assures a positive.working of the devicein the, event thatthe spring 29 should become damaged.

Theharness .13. above referred, to maybe ofany suitable construction,but. I have shown a sling portion 3'T.for..the user tovsit upon, awaistencirclingportion anda connoctino strap 39. All .oftheharnessisconstructed of chain and .is removably attachcd to the end, ofthecable-by suitable snap fasteners 40 whereby persons maybe easilyreleased from the harness as.v they reach. the ground.

InFigure 7 of the drawinp'. I have shown a devicewhich'is adapted tobeused in the event that both of the springs: become damaged whereby thecable will not rewind about the reel. The device is shown inits entiretyas at il and includes a pairof pivoted levers 42 having co-actingjaws 43formed on one end thereof The jaws are formed with co-acting recessesfor "ripping engagement with the cable and the same are adjustable bymeans of a set screw 4d .carried by one of the. jaws and coacting withthe other aw. The lower ends of the levers are formed with eyesfiwhereby theharness may be attached thereto for permittinga person toslide down the cable. By insertion of the adjusting screw, the rate ofspeed may be varied according, to the weight of theperson being lowered.

While I have described what I deem to be the most desirable embodimentof my in vention, it is obvious that many of the details may be variedwithout in any way doparting fron'rthe spirit of my invention, and Itherefore do not limit myself to the exact details of constructionherein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my inventionllmitcd'only by the appended claims.

lVl'ial' claimed as new is l. A, fire escape comprising a. fral'ne, ashaft journalled therein, a reel fixedly mounted on said shaft. a cablenormally wound about said reel, brake means operableby said cable forcontrolling the rotation of said shaft upon the paying out ofsaid=cable, a second shaft, means for transmittinginotion between saidshafts, and a spring. means adapted to be placed under tension by therotation of said last mentioned'sha-ft upon the paying out of said cablewhen a pull is applied to the free end ofithe samewhereby'toautomatically rewind saidcable about said reel upon the release of said pull.

2. A fire escape comprising a frame, a shaft journalled therein, a reelfixedly mounted on said shaft, cable normally wound about said reel,brake means operable by said cable for controlling the rotation of'saidshaft' upon the paying out of said cable, means for regulating theaction of said brake means, a second shaft, means for transmittingmotion between said shafts, and a spring means adapted'to be placedunder tension by the rotation of said last mentioned shaft upon thepaying out of said cable when a pull is applied to'thc free end of thesame whereby to automaticall-y rewind said cable about said reel uponthe release of said pull.

3. A safety apparatus comprising a. casing, a shaft journalled forrotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally woundabout said reel, brake drums rotatable with said. shaft, brake bands forco-action with-said brake drums, and operable by said cable upon thepaying out of the same, a second shaft journalled in said frame, meansfor transmitting motion between said shafts, and a spring means adaptedto be put under tension upon the roation of said second shaft in onedirection.

4. A'safety apparatus comprising a casing,.a shaft journalled forrotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally woundabout said reel, brake drums rota-table with said shaft, brake bands forco-action with said brake drums, a rocker member to which the ends ofsaid brake-bands are connected, tension means for holding saidrockermember normally in a nonbraki'ng position, said cable being operativelyassociated with said rocker member for actuating the same against theaction of said tension means to cause the tightening of said brake bandsabout said drums when a pull is exerted upon the free end of said able.

Av safety a 'iparatus comprising a as ing, a shaft journalled forrotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally woundabout said reel, brake drums rotatable with said shaft, brake bands forcoaction with said brake drums, a rocker member including a pair ofspaced turnably mounted arms to which the respective ends of the brakebands are connected, a cross rod supported by said arms, tension meansfor holding said rocker member in a non-braking position, said cablepassing beneath said cross rod and over a roller mounted above saidcross rod whereby a pull exerted on the free end of said cable willactuate said rocker member against the action of said tension means tocause said brake bands to tighten about said drums.

6. A safety apparatus comprising a casing, a shaft journalled forrotation therein, a reel keyed to said shaft, a cable normally woundabout said reel, brake drums rotatable with said shaft, brake bands forcoaction with said brake drums, a rocker member including a pair ofspaced turnably mounted arms to which the respective ends of the brakebands are connected, a cross rod supported by said arms, tension meansfor holding said rocker member in a nonbraking position, said cablepassing beneath said cross rod and over a roller mounted above saidcross rod whereby a pull exerted on the free end of said cable willactuate said rocker member against the action of said tension means tocause said brake bands to tighten about said drums, a second shaftjournalled insaid casing, means for transmitting motion between saidshafts, and spring means adapted to be placed under tension by therotation of said last mentioned shaft upon the paying out of said cablewhen a pull is exerted on the same whereby to automatically rewind saidcable about said reel upon the release of the pull.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

GEORGE NYKOLYSHAK.

